The present invention relates generally to a hydraulic tool and more particularly to a multi-function hydraulic tool especially intended for use in the servicing of automobiles and other motor vehicles.
During the servicing of automobile vehicles, it is often necessary to remove the tapered bolts or shafts of ball joint assemblies from the mounting arms through which such shafts extend. In dissembling such ball joints, it is generally also necessary to remove the nut from the threaded end of such a shaft. Frequently, such nuts are firmly rusted in position and can not be removed by unscrewing and, therefore, have to be removed by splitting. While manually operated nut splitters can be used for such a purpose, such use of those tools is somewhat time-consuming and, therefore, increases the labour cost of the vehicle repair.
While various tools have hereinbefore been suggested for the press removal of the tapered shafts or ball joint assemblies, such previously proposed tools have presented certain practical disadvantages. For example, some of the known tools have been quite difficult to use while others have been relatively complex in their construction and consequently so expensive that their use has not been widely accepted.
In other automotive servicing operations, it is necessary to fit male members into female members and female members onto male members. Other servicing operations require the removal of female members from male members.
It is a principal object of this invention to provide a multi-function hydraulic tool which can be used in many such automotive servicing operations as well as for splitting nuts.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a multi-function hydraulic tool for the aforesaid purposes and which tool is relatively simple in its construction and, therefore, relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description herein proceeds.